Set Limits.

Consider age and income bench marks. Pick a few peers in the industry to measure your progress by. Choose others in different professions to gauge your advancement against as well. Understand that the older we get the more deeply entrenched we become in regards to our profession and life.

It is true that if you stick with it long enough you will make it to a major however there may be nothing left of your outside life as a result and you might be too old to enjoy it anyway.

If spouse, family, financial security, lifestyle and retirement have any value to you then a plan needs to be in place. Waiting to see what aviation offers might lead you to someplace you are not happy about.

The best defense is to have a plan, set limits and attempt to live by them. At least if you blow by an age or financial bench mark and have not attained your goal you will begin to understand the price you are paying.

Aviation gets more costly as we get older. It is no fun to be a new hire in your late forty's. I remember sitting next to a guy on an airliner who was a new hire at something like 46. He was broke, alone and had to move away from everyone he knew to begin his new job as a 737 FO on reserve. I was 23 at the time and thought that I would not like to be in that situation.

SkyHigh